Author Topic: list of compatible woods?  (Read 777 times)

Offline bsv

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list of compatible woods?
« on: December 06, 2014, 09:51:00 AM »
Hey Guy's,Know that I'm hooked on bow building I'm wondering if there is a sort of list as to this wood works well as a backer for this type of core or belly wood? short of just experience(witch I'm short on) You guy's have been GREAT answering my questions but I don't want to become a pain in the you know what   :bigsmyl: .. Burt
R/D's soon to come

Online Roy from Pa

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2014, 10:00:00 AM »
Hard maple or red elm works good, but it has to be 1/4 sawn, rift sawn at the very least.

Offline KenH

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2014, 10:07:00 AM »
Too many combos to list, and all are personal preference, not *your* favorite.  Look at Primitive Archer and Paleoplanet.  Both have lists of compatible woods.  TBB also has a list.
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Online Pat B

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2014, 11:29:00 AM »
Hickory added to Roy's list.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!
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Online Roy from Pa

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2014, 11:44:00 AM »
DUH, how did I forget that?  :)

Offline bsv

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2014, 12:22:00 PM »
Thank-you**** Burt
R/D's soon to come

Offline takefive

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2014, 04:05:00 PM »
I haven't used them, but I've heard of guys using ash and white oak, also.  Like Roy sez, straight grained quarter or rift sawn are your best bet.
It's hard to make a wooden bow which isn't beautiful, even if it's ugly.
-Tim Baker

Offline takefive

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2014, 04:54:00 PM »
You can make an easy form to put reflex in while glueing your backer on out of a six foot 2" X  4".  I copied Roy's nice tri-lam form, but made mine cruder and uglier   :rolleyes:   and omitted the center post.  I prop a block of wood in the center depending on how much reflex I want.  I like 3" of reflex to start and expect to lose an inch or more of it after the bow is shot in.  

 

 
It's hard to make a wooden bow which isn't beautiful, even if it's ugly.
-Tim Baker

Offline Brett Leinmiller

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2014, 08:23:00 PM »
I've seen red cedar mentioned and I have quite a bit of it. Seems a soft wood for bow material, how are you all using it in your bows?

Offline takefive

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2014, 01:48:00 AM »
The last bow I made was eastern red cedar with a red elm backer.  It is very soft and light, but evidently pretty elastic and pretty decent in compression.  I found a nice board; almost all heartwood and no knots in the slat I cut from it.  I made it 1 3/4" wide and 68" long for a 45# bow and glued in 3" of reflex.  It holds 2 1/4" of reflex at rest and is my lightest bow at 14 1/2 ounces.
The wood itself is just beautiful.  Hope to find another good board and make another one sometime.
On top of that, it smells really good, too.   :)
It's hard to make a wooden bow which isn't beautiful, even if it's ugly.
-Tim Baker

Offline mikkekeswick

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2014, 02:55:00 AM »
Backing strips do not need to be rift or quarter sawn. It makes no difference. Straight grain is straight grain and that's all that matters. Straight grain, straight grain, straight grain.  :)   :)
A split stave isn't quarter sawn now is it!

Offline takefive

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Re: list of compatible woods?
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2014, 07:07:00 PM »
Believe me, I'd love to find a face sawn board that follows one unbroken ring, but if I did I wouldn't rip it for a backer.  I'd make an  unbacked bow with it.  Almost all of the ones I find are rift sawn and I usually go through the whole inventory to find just one that has acceptable straight grain.
It's hard to make a wooden bow which isn't beautiful, even if it's ugly.
-Tim Baker

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